In various weighing applications, objects may not be accurately weighed due to failure of a weighing system so that the normal production and work are affected and different degrees of economic losses are caused to customers. Among various failures of the weighing system, damage and failure of a load cell or similar faults can regularly occur.
In a weighing system having a plurality of analog load cells, all the analog signals are synthesized together to form a combined analog signal for output to a weighing instrument. Under such a situation, when one or more load cells fail, the weighing system still outputs weighing readings so that the operators may not timely realize that one or more load cells have failed and continue weighing operations until the failure has been detected by an inspection department or after a long time.
In a weighing system having a plurality of digital load cells, when one or more load cells fail, the weighing system still outputs weighing readings which are no longer accurate weighing data. If the failure has been timely discovered, the load cells are repaired or replaced, and the weighing operation is stopped until all the failures have been addressed. The forced suspension of weighing operations and related operations may cause different degrees of waste of time, resources, and human effort. If the failure alarm has not been timely discovered and the weighing operation continues, the weighing operation under such situation is inaccurate, which may result in extra or even severe economical loss and reputation loss which the users can not afford.